Marie Collins’ resignation today from Vatican commission is a blow to the Church’s child protection efforts

Voice of the Faithful is disheartened at Marie Collins’ resignation today from the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The lone clergy abuse survivor left on the commission she expressed her frustration at the inability of the commission to move the Catholic Church to more universal and effective child protection measures and healing from its clergy sexual abuse scandal.

VOTF has known Collins to be dedicated to the protection of minors and a stalwart force against the Church’s intransigence in addressing clerical sex abuse. As the featured speaker at VOTF’s 2015 National Assembly, she expressed great hope in the Commission’s work and a willingness to be patient while the church worked to implement child protection measures globally. She also has supported VOTF’s Broken Vessels™ Healing Circles that offer a path towards healing for abuse victims/survivors.

“Marie Collins is strong, courageous, and persistent,” said Donna B. Doucette, VOTF executive director. “If she has lost hope because the Vatican bureaucracy is thwarting progress on child protection, Pope Francis should respond by firing all the Curia department staff who refuse to implement or delay programs that protect children. The Church cannot ignore modern-day prophets like Marie and still claim to care about removing clerical sex abusers.”

In announcing her resignation, Collins expressed dismay at the Commission’s progress, saying, “I believe the setting up of the Commission, the bringing in of outside expertise to advise him (Pope Francis) on what was necessary to make minors safer, was a sincere move. However, despite the Holy Father approving all the recommendations made to him by the Commission, there have been constant setbacks. This has been directly due to the resistance by some members of the Vatican Curia to the work of the Commission.”

Voice of the Faithful®: Voice of the Faithful® is a worldwide movement of faithful Roman Catholics working to support survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity and increase the laity’s role in the governance and guidance of the Church. More information is at www.votf.org. Contact: Nick Ingala, nickingala@votf.org, 781-559-3360

The irony of learning this sad news on Ash Wednesday is almost too much. I am so saddened. The Church will never get it, I fear. I honor Marie for all that she has done in the name of protecting children from clerical abuse/calling the Church to responsibility and accountability and for having the wisdom to know when continuing will compromise her personal integrity.